Improvement in draft-equalizers



.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADBIAlf G.-LATTA, OF FRIENDSHIP, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO EMMETG. LATTA, OF SAME PLACE, AND PRATT & LETGHWORTH, OF

BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN DRAFT-EQUALIZERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. I 76,323, dated April18, 1876; application filed' January 3, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. ADRIAN O. LATTA, of Friendship, in the county ofAllegany and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements inWhiffletrees, which improvements are fully set forth in the followingspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to that class of double whiffletrees which arepivoted to the tongue at a short distance in the rear of thewhiffietree, so that when the latter is swung on its pivot out of itsnormal position the leverage on which the two horses pull is madeunequal, the leading horse drawing on the shorter lever, while the horsein the rear works on the longer lever, thereby enabling the rear horseto readily gain on the horse having the start,

and return to its proper position.

My invention consists of the peculiar construction of the devicesemployed for connecting the whiftletree to the tongue, as will behereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure L is a plan view of a doublewhiffletree and vehicletongue, provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal section thereof. Fig.

' 3 is a plan view of the wear-plate attached to the tongue. Fig. 4 is aplan view of the arm or plate to which the double whiffletree is securedin a slightly modified form. Fig. 5 is a front view of the two plateswith the tongue in section. Fig. 6 represents a plan view of the arm orplate to which the double Whiffietree is secured. Fig. 7 isa'longitudinal section thereof in line to m, Fig. 6.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in each of the figures.

A represents the tongue of the vehicle, and B the double whiffietree. Ois a plate or arm, secured to the under side of the whiffletree B at itscenter and extending backward a short distance, where it is connected tothe tongue A by a pivot, 01, the whiffletree swinging on the latter bymeans of the arm or plate 0. E represents a wear plate, corresponding inform with the plate 0, and arranged 011 the upper side of the tongue Aunder the plate 0, and secured to the tongue at the rear by the pivot d,and at the front by a screw or bolt, 6. The plate 0 is provided at itsfront with a projecting finger, f, engaging under a raised curved guide,g, formed at the front of the wear-plate E, whereby the latter and thearm 0 are retained in close contact, preventing any rattling and tiltingof the Whitfietrees and relieving the pivot d of any lateral strains,while the sweep of the whiffletree is at the same time limited by thefinger f striking against the ends of the guide at either extreme of itsmovement. The plate 0 is provided on its upper side with a raised bow orloop, h, in which the whiflietree is inserted, as clearly shown in Figs.6 and 7. The whiffletree is securely clamped in the how it by depressingthe latter slightly into the wood, thereby doing away with thefastening-bolts and avoiding the weakening of the whiftletree bybolt-holes. The plate E is preferably cut away underthe loop 12, so asto enable the plate to be cast with the bow without coring. If desired,however, the raised bow h may be dispensed with and the whiffletreesecured to the plate 0 by two bolts, as represented in Figs. 1 and 4.The finger f, engaging under the guide 9 of the wear-plate E, by restingagainst the end of the guide at each extreme of its movement, relievesthe pivot 01 of a great amount of the strain, and by limiting the sweepof the whiftletree prevents either horse from getting too far in therear, while it assists in turning the vehicle by holding back the innerhorse and enabling the outer horse to draw the tongue around by thewhiffletree, instead of pushing it around by the neck-yoke, which lattermode is very objectionable in heavy teaming. The two plates 0 and E forma firm hearing or support for the whiffletree in its movements, andretain it in a horizontal position on the tongue. They are readily andcheaply constructed of malleable or ordinary cast iron, the latter beingpreferably used for heavy whiffletrees and malleable iron for lightwhiffletrees.

I am aware that double whiftletrees have been pivoted by means ofwrought-iron straps and otherwise to a bolt arranged in the rear of thewhiffletree, and this I do not claim; but

2. The combination, with the double whiflietree B, tongue A, and pivotd, of the plate 0, provided with finger f, and wear-plate E, providedwith raised guide 9, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbeforeset forth.

ADRIAN G. LATTA.

Witnesses S. M. NORTON, E. G. LATTA.

